Lilacs IV
by trek-grrrl
Summary: Series finale. The bad guys finally catch up with our heroes and their ladies. See the new Ch 1 of Lilacs II for some insight. Rated for violence, language, sex, etc.
1. Chapter 1

(Author's note. This story doesn't cross with anything, unlike Lilacs II and II. It's strictly GAH. It's rated M for language, adult situations, violence.)

Chapter One

Kim O'Neil was panting and gasping when she pulled away from Bill Maxwell, collapsing back on the pile of pillows at the headboard of her bed.

"Good GOD, Bill, where'd that come from?" she asked, exhausted but very satisfied.

His chuckle made her open her eyes, turning to face him. His skin was glowing from their efforts, and she marveled yet again at what an incredibly handsome man he was, even if he didn't know it. That was one of the many things that appealed to her about Bill: he wasn't conceited, at least in his looks. He saved that personality quirk for his excellent record and reputation as an FBI Special Agent. He was good and he knew it.

"It came from something I finally realized last night, that maybe I shoulda mentioned while we were doing it," he said, softly running his slender fingers over her sweaty brow.

Kim laughed at his phrasing. "'Doing it,' Maxwell?"

"Yeah."

She waited a moment, for him to continue. When he didn't, she asked, "And what did you realize?"

"That I love you," he said simply.

She gasped, her eyes wide, as she looked deep into his dark pine-green eyes, searching. He really means it! she thought, amazed and ecstatic that their relationship had reached this turning point. She'd wanted to say Those Words herself, for many weeks now, but was reluctant to do so. Even now, after the weeks they'd been together, a small part of her was terrified that all this was going to come to an end, and the thought shook her to the core of her being that she and Bill would not be together forever. But now? HE said those three magic words first!

Kim threw her arms around Bill's bare shoulders and back, pulling him down on top of her once more, wrapping her legs over his hips.

"Hmmm, baby, you can't know how long I've waited to hear those words! I love you too, Bill!"

He relaxed on her, shifting so he wasn't squashing her TOO much, and held her to him, unable to speak, unable to move. All he wanted to do was drown in the feeling of her wrapped so intimately around him. As he lay so quietly on her, his thoughts couldn't help but turn to another woman, which to him seemed another lifetime ago. So very much had happened since he'd lost his dear wife, and now he was lying in the arms of another woman, saying those words he'd only said to one other.

When Bill didn't move or speak for a few moments, Kim pulled back enough to see his face. She was shocked to see tears silently run down his cheeks, his eyes closed.

"Bill? What's wrong, hon?" she asked quietly.

Bill took a shuddering breath, not opening his eyes. He cleared his throat and said softly, "I'm... I'm happy, Kim. I mean, really, truly HAPPY. It's... it's hard to explain."

"Naw, you don't need to explain. Like we said all those weeks ago, Where've you been all my life? Now we're right here, in one another's arms, like we're supposed to be, like it was meant to be."

A nod was all Bill could do in reply, he was so overwhelmed. It was rare that Bill Maxwell was at a loss for words, so he remained silent, not wanting to break this moment in the early morning sunlight streaming over the bed they were sharing.

Kim shifted under him, moving her long legs, and Bill laughed into her neck, his mouth pressed against the pulsing skin.

"What?" she asked, giggling automatically in response.

"This," he said, and moved into her, eliciting yet another gasp from the woman he'd so completely satisfied a few moments before.

"Holy Christmas, Maxwell!" Kim yelped, throwing her head back at his abrupt maneuver. "What'd you do, find a time machine and now you're twenty years old or something?"

"Yeah, baby, when I'm with you, I'm your young stud," he muttered, his mouth still kissing and nibbling her long neck. "It's the love, Kim. Now we're really, truly making love."

He slid his arms under her, holding her back, rocking her in a gentle rhythm. He moved his mouth to her ear and whispered, "God, I love you, Kim, I love you so much."

Before he rendered her speechless, which he always did at about this point, Kim managed to gasp out, "I love you too, Bill!" and then she was gone as wave upon wave of pleasure washed over her and through her from her one true love, Bill Maxwell.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Bill and Kim, after making love, spooned together and relaxed, thoroughly intending to enjoy Bill's unexpected day off and spending the day in bed.

They were just about asleep when Ralph's voice screamed over the communication device Bill had placed on Kim's nightstand.

"BILL! Bill, answer me, they've got PAM!" came his young partner's desperate call.

Bill shot up, instantly awake, and grabbed the comm unit. "Where you at, Ralph?"

"Leaving the marina! They're heading south on the main road in a plain black Chevy van!"

Bill reached behind him to jostle Kim out of bed, but found nobody there. She was already up and getting dressed.

He reached for his discarded clothes as he continued, "Follow 'em and keep in touch on where they're headin', the kid and I will meet up with you when we can. Just don't lose sight of her!"

"Right!" Ralph answered, and the unit went silent.

Bill was pleased that Kim had kept up with him, both getting dressed and running for the door at the same time. She smirked at him, knowing he was impressed.

"Well, they're my friends too, you know!" she said as she threw his keys to him. They were up and out the door within two minutes of Ralph's urgent plea for assistance.

Fortunately, like the little park they'd picnicked at, the marina the MV Minnow had docked at wasn't too far from Kim's apartment.

"Bill, you see me yet? I'm tracking the van like you said. I didn't wanna tackle it all on my own, I don't know how many are in there, or how many guns they have! They could hurt Pam before I even got to the ground."

"Naw, kid, where are ya? We're on the main road from the marina, we can't be too far away by now!"

"Look for the blue-green water tower... see it? I'm just about to pass it on the right!"

Bill and Kim searched, eyes squinting in the morning glare, and Kim yelped, "There he is, Bill!"

"Good eye, kiddo." He put the comm to his mouth, "We've got ya, Ralph! Stay with 'em, we'll be there in just a few minutes!"

Pam had been thrown onto a pile of rough blankets, used to cushion delicate furniture, and relaxed as soon as she hit, by all appearances unconscious. She logically figured if she pretended to be out of it, they'd talk around her and she'd pick up some "intel" as Bill would call it.

She was right.

None of the men spoke for a few seconds, and Pam was getting nervous, wondering if they had something in mind for her. Finally a man, obviously well-on in years, said, "It can't be long. This one's rarely apart from those two MEN and O'Neil. I don't know how they do it, but I'm sure our friends will make an appearance shortly to rescue her."

Pam felt a foot on her shoulder as the man tapped her, to see if she was awake.

When she didn't respond, one of the younger men chuckled. "Caught us a pretty one, Mr. David, are you sure we can't, uh... well, you know? Long as she's out of it?"

All Pam could do when she heard that was focus on the guys... her rescuers, her saviors. Ralph and Bill are on their way, Pam, you KNOW they're on their way! She kept telling herself that, because she knew if she inadvertantly reacted to the implied threat of rape, they'd know she was fully conscious and then there'd really be hell to pay.

She pictured Ralph swooping in, her avenging angel in his silly red suit, knowing that he'd do it fast and efficiently. For some reason, when she or Bill was in danger, Ralph's flying suddenly improved tenfold. The vision of Bill bursting in, guns in hand, screaming, "FBI, hold it!" almost made her smile, but she remained outwardly motionless.

"Hmmmm," the one they called "Mr. David," replied, considering the younger man's proposal. She certainly is beautiful, he reluctantly admitted. But the enemy of the State. Irrelevant what these young stallions wanted to do to her then.

"We'll see how this ends first. If you manage to get O'Neil and Maxwell for me, you can keep her for your prize."

As disciplined as Pam Davidson's mind was, it wasn't that good, and she gasped when she heard the man's verdict on her fate.

She opened her eyes when she heard the man chuckle, now that her secret was out.

"Ah, the lovely has been awake all this time, and listening, excellent. So, my dear, you know you're the delectable carrot being dangled in front of my associates' noses. No matter. Once we have that traitor and her lover, my young men here can indulge themselves in you as their compensation."

He leaned over her, his face inches from hers. He wasn't a tall nor a big man, but his presence was imposing. Pam lay still, not backing away, not giving an inch to him.

"Perhaps when they're finished with you, we can get you cleaned up and I'll take a turn or three?"

Without thought, Pam spat in the man's face before he could move back.

She snarled, "You'll be DEAD before any of you can lay a hand on me!"

David started to turn away, as if leaving her presence, and before Pam could even blink, he turned to her and smacked her across the face, knocking her back.

He very carefully and dramatically wiped the spittle off his cheek, and said, in a low, dangerous tone, "Oh, someone's going to be dead before this is over, my sweet, trust me. And it won't be me or my young friends here. For weeks I've been following you and your little party of friends, and somehow you've all managed to keep my prize from me. No more. Today it ends. We get that traitor to return home for execution, and we get a top FBI agent in the package. My superiors will be most pleased."

The younger blond man smiled down at Pam, pleased at the large lump and bruise that was already building over her lovely cheek, the blood from the cut dripping off her chin. The man's ring had cut into her, and Pam fought the compulsion to reach up and wipe the blood off. She didn't want him or the others to know how much it was paining her, she wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.

"What, is that how you get your kicks, beating up women? Chasing them so they can be executed? Guess we know who the REAL pros are here, don't we? Obviously BILL MAXWELL since he's the one that keeps eluding you, protecting KIM like he does! If you think you can get her from--"

SMACK came David's hand again, and Pam was thrown against the wall of the van, truly unconscious this time.

She'd somehow managed to anger David, who normally was quite unflappable. Comparing him to one Bill Maxwell had done it. The man knew, deep in his heart, that for all his brilliance and wit, William Maxwell was the better agent. He knew of Maxwell's 98 per cent success rate in closing cases, knew the man had managed to out-smart his best efforts over the weeks since the affair at the beach with the gun smuggling.

It aggravated him that he could not figure out how Maxwell KNEW the guns were there. There was NO WAY he could have figured it out, yet he was the one who told O'Neil about the guns being hidden in the sand. She'd played along with him, for all the world assisting him, and then it all blew up.

It wasn't often that David sought revenge on someone, but his professional pride and his intelligence had been wounded, and O'Neil and Maxwell were going to pay for it. With their lives.

The van suddenly swerved hard to the left, throwing Pam off the blankets she'd collapsed against. The motion brought her to consciousness, and she rubbed the back of her head, groggy but rapidly assessing the sudden turn in events. The driver was screaming back at his boss.

"Mr. David, LOOK!" the man said, pointing forward and up.

Pam knew what he was looking at and smiled as the men in back ran to the front of the van to see what had caused the abrupt swerve and stop. While they were distracted, she grabbed the door handle, wrestling with it while still trying to clear the cobwebs from her brain.

David took in the scene instantly, not giving his mind much chance to marvel over the sight of a man in a red suit landing in front of their van. He knew what he'd be doing if the roles were reversed: he'd be on the other end of the van, waiting for them to come pouring out, so he was confident that's where Maxwell, and more importantly O'Neil, was.

He also knew Pam would take the distraction as a chance to escape. He shoved the younger blond man out of the right side of the van.

"Out, out, get O'Neil, whatever you do!" he screamed.

As the man complied with his boss's command, heading for the back of the van on the outside, David went out the left side, and saw Bill Maxwell leaping from his Dodge, using the door for a shield, gun in hand.

Ralph had landed by now, and the driver of the van was frozen in his seat, gawking.

Being blocked by the bulk of the van, Ralph didn't know what was going on behind and alongside it. Or inside it. None of them knew there was another armed man inside, who'd turned in time to see Pam's escape. When Ralph heard a gunshot and Pam and Bill screaming, all thoughts of nabbing her captors flew out of his mind, and he leapt over the van, landing alongside Pam's prone body.

It was obvious, now, why Mr. David employed the blond young man as his associate. Without thought or distraction of what was going on around him, he continued forward for O'Neil, who was climbing out of the Dodge, not heeding Bill's order to remain inside and hidden.

Before Ralph or Bill, who were still too stunned by Pam being shot, could move, the bad guys were back in the van, with O'Neil, their tires squealing in their haste to get away.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Bill was instantly on his car phone calling for assistance and an ambulance. He couldn't see Pam's condition from his angle, and Ralph's caped back blocked his view.

"Ralph, Ralph, how is she? Here, lemme see!" Bill said, shoving Ralph aside.

It was obvious that Pam's wound wasn't life-threatening; the bullet had gone into her upper back, by the shoulder blade, which may have succeeded in deflecting it.

"Shhh, don't move her, Ralph, leave her just like that. Here, gimme your cape, so I can put it under her head."

Ralph swiped the cape off his back and handed it to Bill, who folded it into a square. When the FBI agent lifted Pam's head slightly, the two men saw the bruise and cut under her eye.

"Those BASTARDS!" Bill exclaimed, looking up at Ralph. "Ralph, quick, go get 'em before they get too much of a lead!"

Ralph sat back on his heels, looking at his best friend and partner, stunned, not saying a word.

"C'mon, kid, hit the runway, I'll take care of Pam, you've got to get Kim!"

"Bill, you're kidding, right?" Ralph finally managed to say.

"NO, I'm not kiddin', get GOING!" Bill repeated, growing angrier by the second. Between screaming at Ralph, staring down at Pam's unconscious and bleeding body, and Kim's being kidnapped by The Enemy, Bill was NOT in the mood for kidding.

"I'm not leaving Pam, Bill, you of all people should know that!"

"Ralph, I love Pam almost as much as you do, I'll be sure she's okay, now GO, before the cops and the medics get here."

Ralph remained squatting by Pam's side, staring down at her, stroking her long brunette waves. "I'm not leaving."

Something snapped in Bill, and he reached his long arms over Pam. He roughly shoved Ralph, making his young friend topple over in his surprise. It annoyed the agent that he couldn't out-right flatten Ralph in his anger, but all he'd get out of the deal was another broken hand.

"What the hell, Bill?" Ralph said, his blue eyes wide. He quickly returned to Pam's side as if the older man hadn't touched him.

Bill growled, in a low, dangerous tone, "Ralph, if you don't get in the air this second, I'll... I'll drop kick you into next week when I see you out of that suit again! Come ON, every second we sit here arguing is another second Kim's getting farther and farther away!"

Ralph was growing angry at Bill's seemingly casual attitude about Pam's injuries, as if they were nothing compared to Kim's kidnapping. "My fiancee is lying here in the street, bleeding, obviously beat up by these bastards, and you want me to leave her, Maxwell?"

"YES, goddammit! I will take care of her, I told you!" He pointed to the bullet entry wound, and lifted her enough to look on the other side for a corresponding exit wound. He didn't see any blood, so was sure the bullet was still inside. "I've had field training from Korea, Ralph, I know she's okay! She's not gushing blood, so obviously it didn't hit an artery."

As if on cue, they heard the sound of sirens approaching.

A steely glare was all Maxwell received from his friend and partner.

"I. Am. Not. Leaving. Her." Ralph ground out from between gritted teeth.

This time Bill did hit Ralph, not caring that he'd probably break some bones in the process. Even though the punch didn't hurt Ralph in his red suit, the momentum threw him back once more, and he hit the pavement, his head banging with a resounding thud.

Bill felt the muscles and tendons in his hand scream in protest, but had managed to pull his punch just enough not to break bones. Before he could even blink, Ralph was behind him, his mouth close to his ear, his strong hands gripping Maxwell's shoulders painfully.

"Don't EVER do that again, Maxwell," Ralph said roughly. "What the HELL were you thinking, punching me?"

Bill gasped at the great pressure squeezing his shoulders inward. He knew Ralph could break him any time he felt like it, but being best friends, he also knew it wouldn't get that far.

"Ralph..." Bill whispered, unable to continue.

"Bill, I know you care about the girl, you two have been practically inseparable for weeks, but come ON, this is PAM we've got here, bleeding, your COUNSELOR, for crying out loud!"

Bill nodded his head sharply, closing his eyes. "I... Ralph, I don't just care about Kim, I LOVE her, okay? Y'happy now, you got it outta me."

"And that's why you freaked on me."

Another nod was Bill's reply.

The pressure on the shoulders eased somewhat, and Bill turned his head enough to see Ralph scanning the area, his head cocked to listen. The sirens were only a block or two away now.

"They're gone, Bill, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it had gone that far between you two."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four.

Ralph and Bill continued their drawn-out silence as two men wheeled Pam by on a gurney. They trailed behind as the orderlies brought her to a private room to recover from surgery.

Ralph ignored Bill, moving to Pam's side to take a limp hand in his own. Bill went to the other side of the bed, taking her other hand. Ralph looked up, glaring at him.

"What?"

Ralph wanted to tell Bill to leave, but knew he couldn't. He was fortunate the hospital was letting him remain with Pam, not being her husband yet. An FBI agent would have as much right, with a gunshot victim, if not moreso.

"Do you have to be here?"

"What? Of course I do, what're you talkin' about?" Bill asked.

Ralph unconsciously rubbed his jaw, the spot where Bill had hit him hours before. The punch hadn't hurt physically, just mentally and emotionally. To think his best friend HIT him, out of anger and frustration, stunned the younger man.

"You HIT me!" Ralph exclaimed, the shock of such an event clear in his voice and expression.

Bill reacted by squeezing Pam's hand, hard, not aware of what he was doing. "Yeah, and I'll hit you again if we don't DO something! Ralph, come ON, we can holograph in on her or something, can't we?"

"Bill, dammit, I'm not leaving Pam, I told you! And quit squeezing Pam's hand so hard!"

Bill looked down, startled, when he realized what he'd been doing. He loosened his grip, bringing the limp hand to his mouth to sweetly kiss it and placing it on Pam's stomach.

"Sorry, hon," he said quietly to her. He looked back up at Ralph. "Look, her parents are on their way. They'll take over from you."

He reached into his pocket and took out a scarf. "The kid left this in my car, her vibes'll be all over it. C'mon, it won't take long. Please. Ralph. Do SOMETHING for me here! Maybe we can get a lead and I can go while you sit here with Pam. I can get some backup from the office."

Ralph looked between his fiancee and his best friend, as if reluctant to leave Pam's side for even a moment. He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, but she remained unresponsive. He patted her on the hand he set down next to the other one.

"I'll be back in a bit, sweetheart, I'm right here in the room."

He went to the mirror, Bill following along, both silent. Ralph placed his hand on Bill's shoulder while holding the scarf. He squeezed a little harder than he normally did, wanting to get back at the agent for the earlier shove and punch.

"Yowch, Ralph, ease up!"

"Why should I?"

Bill moved away from Ralph's touch, then stepped close again, bumping his friend's shoulder.

"Look, I was freakin' out, I still am really, but I've calmed down. C'mon, not so hard. We won't be able to focus on the kid if we're tensed up, you know that when you try to holograph in on Pam."

Ralph took a deep calming breath. Bill was right. It wouldn't kill him to help him here and now, as long as he wouldn't have to leave Pam, at least till Mr. and Mrs. Davidson arrived.

Ralph once again placed his hand on Bill's shoulder, gently this time, and held the scarf in the other. The two relaxed, concentrating on the mirror. Bill gasped when the image popped into his head.

He could see O'Neil on a rough, filthy mattress, in a small room with dirty white walls and a high window. She was tied up and gagged. There didn't seem to be anyone else in the room. There was an old dresser, paint peeling, near her and a banged-up nightstand with a pathetic lamp on top. A clock-radio was next to the lamp.

Bill began to shake, but forced himself to calm down, not wanting to end the holograph prematurely by tensing up and freaking out again. He saw O'Neil's face, bruises and cuts all over. He couldn't tell if she was sleeping or unconscious. He suspected the latter.

"Bill..." Ralph began, whispering, then another shock hit them: The scene changed abruptly, and suddenly O'Neil was NOT bound and gagged, but lying on her back, struggling, as a man, half-naked, pants around his ankles, climbed on top of her. Their point of view was partly blocked by two other men, but as the man over O'Neil shifted, they could see her clothes had been torn, revealing her torn lacy bra and underpants. A meaty, thick-fingered hand clawed at her panties, forcing them down her thighs.

"RALPH!" Bill screamed, falling back, away from Ralph's hand. "They're RAPING HER!"

Bill started to run for the door, but Ralph was there first, blocking his way.

"MOVE, Ralph!"

"Bill, where are you going to go? You don't know where that is, STOP, THINK!"

"I CAN'T, all I can see in my head is that... that..."

"BILL, you're not thinking! We saw her bound and gagged, THEN we saw the rape. It didn't happen just that fast!"

Bill fell against the hospital room door, panting, shaking. "You're right, you're right. It couldn't have. She looked like she was asleep or unconscious."

"Bill, it was precognition, it HAD to have been! Let's try it again, maybe we can get more!"

"NO, I can't, I can't see her like that, helpless, that bastard moving over..." He faltered to a stop, shivering so much that Ralph thought he'd shake his bones loose.

Any previous grievance Ralph had with Bill flew out the window as he did what he could to comfort and calm his friend.

He set the agent down on the chair by the window, leaning over him so his face was inches away from Bill's.

"Now listen to me. We'll figure this out, just like we did when we saw Pam and the plane. It worked out. Her parents will be here any second now, and we can take off. But we've got to link up again to see if we can get more detail. You're a professional. Distance yourself from this if you can, be the keen observer that Pam and I know you are. You know L.A. better than any native, maybe there're little clues you can pick up to tell us where she is."

Bill nodded his head, his eyes closed, as he listened to Ralph's calm and reasonable speech. The kid's right. He could be remarkably lucid and logical when he wanted to be. I'm a pro, Bill told himself, I can do this. It's business.

They resumed their positions as before in front of the mirror. Within seconds, they saw O'Neil bound and gagged. Not knowing how long the holograph would last, or if it'd shift to that horrid rape scene, Bill's sharp mind took in every detail, every shadow and movement.

When the scene shifted to Kim being raped by the big man, Bill once again wanted to stagger back, to get those images out of his mind, but Ralph's firm control in mind and body held him in place. Bill could sense the strength from his friend, not just physical, but emotional and mental as well. And something else, a deep sense of loyalty and love for him alone. Ralph was remaining there for him this time, for Bill and Kim, till they got this resolved and the four friends could be reunited.

"Steady, Bill," Ralph whispered, and Bill remained calm, distancing himself from the scene as Ralph had suggested he do. Observe it like the professional that you are, Maxwell. You'll do her more good if you remain firm and connected.

The precognitive vision ended moments later, but not before both Ralph and Bill picked up important information.

"Didja see the time, Ralph? forty-two minutes from now!" he said, looking at his watch.

"Yes, yes, Bill! And I saw the place too! You know it, it's that old warehouse where O'Neil told us may be one of their bases of operations, after we came back from Seattle!"

"Yeah, I'm glad I made her show me, even though we busted those bad guys up in Bremerton!"

He ran for the door. "C'mon, we've gotta get there!"

"Bill..." Ralph said, pointing to Pam.

Bill ran back to Pam's bed. As if on cue, Pam began to stir, her eyes fluttering open.

"Hey, hon," Bill said, smiling down at her.

Ralph took her hand and she turned her head to face him. "Ralph? Bill?"

"Who else?" Ralph said, grinning as she blinked her big gray eyes.

"I'll go get the doc," Bill said. He ran into the hall, heading to the nurses' station.

"Miss Davidson's awake, Nurse," he said.

"My daughter's awake, Mr. Maxwell?" a man's voice said from the elevator.

"Mr. and Mrs. Davidson!" Bill exclaimed, moving to the older couple. "Yes, sir, she woke up just moments ago. She seems to be doing fine. Ralph's with her. C'mon, I'll bring ya."

Ralph moved aside so the Davidsons could see their daughter, both of them holding her as carefully as they could, Mrs. Davidson wiping her tears on Pam's hospital gown.

Bill waited a few moments for the happy reunion, then cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention.

He looked at Pam, who'd been propped back on her pillows by her father and Ralph.

"Pam, hon, Ralph and I are going to have to leave you in your parents' very capable hands, so we can catch the sonsa..." he stopped, remembering he was in the presence of ladies. "Creeps who did this to you. RALPH and I picked up some clues on the way."

She nodded her head in understanding, knowing they must have picked up a holograph of Kim. The two men didn't want to mention the rape scene, especially in light of the fact Pam narrowly missed such a fate herself. Her cut and bruised cheek and shoulder wound were distressing Mrs. Davidson enough as it was.

Mr. Davidson moved so Ralph could take Pam's hand. "You don't mind, hon? It's REALLY IMPORTANT that we get there as soon as possible."

He made a face at her, with the parents behind him, and she picked up what he meant. Knowing what almost happened to her, she too suspected the same may be happening to Kim. And that Bill and Ralph had to do their utmost to stop it.

"No, no, Mom and Daddy'll be here with me. You go, get those bastards!"

Mrs. Davidson gasped at her daughter's language, which distracted her and her husband from scolding Ralph for leaving his fiancee so abruptly. Pam knew that was the reaction she'd get, deliberately taking the attention off Ralph and Bill. The two men shot out the door while Mrs. Davidson admonished her little girl for such unladylike language.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five.

Bill kept glancing at his watch as he drove himself and Ralph to the warehouse they HOPED they saw O'Neil in. She'd shown them a couple of locations after their return from Washington State weeks before, after Bill had insisted.

"I'm sure it's this one, Bill, there was too much light coming into the window for the other place. That one's got buildings right up next to it."

"Yeah, yeah, good point. Dunno why I didn't think of that," he said, nodding, glancing yet again at his watch. This was taking too much damned time!

"Ralph, we've only got about ten minutes!" he wailed, looking frantically about, trying to think of any way to make the tedious trip shorter. Ralph was right: Bill knew L.A. better than most natives, and the agent knew there wasn't any easier way to get there.

"How're we going to do this, Bill?"

"Well, from what we saw, the three guys..." He paused, taking a deep breath. "The three guys were in the room with her, and we didn't see this David creep. Let's assume he's out in the big room."

"Okay, I'll go invisible and get him, you follow behind and get into that room before they can... do their stuff."

"Right!"

FINALLY, Bill found a place he could park the car, a small distance away so the bad guys wouldn't hear it in this quiet industrial district.

They sneaked up to a dirty window and peeked in. Ralph had been correct: it was only Mr. David in the big room, and he seemed to be relaxed and reading a magazine, smirking every so often at what he saw. What a prick, Ralph thought. He's sitting there, knowing what those bastards were about to do in the other room.

Bill remained in the shadows after Ralph had got them both in by prying the door open with his suit-enhanced strength. He was getting quite adept at doing so without making any unusual sounds, and the older man was still relaxed and reading, unaware that his nemesis Agent Maxwell was within feet of him.

Having the element of surprise, it didn't take Ralph long to secure the man, first pressing his hand powerfully over David's mouth so he couldn't sound the alarm to his minions, then grasping his hands behind his back.

David saw Maxwell come out from behind some shelves, and the startled look in his dark eyes turned into seething hatred. But the iron grip over his mouth, his wrists immobilized, was nothing even he could struggle against, and all he could do was watch the FBI agent move stealthily, but quickly, to the inner room where O'Neil and the three younger men were.

Ralph held his breath, waiting to hear the traditional "Maxwell, FBI, hold it!" from his older partner. Silence. He cocked his head, trying to pick up any sound, and he heard a muffled squeal of surprise. He couldn't quite identify what he heard next, but it definitely wasn't gunfire or Bill's ringing command to freeze.

What the hell was happening in there?

"Bill?" Ralph queried hesitantly, wondering if he should check on his friend.

In less than a minute of entering the small room, Bill was coming out, O'Neil tucked protectingly under his arm. She was wrapped in a sheet that didn't look as filthy as what they'd seen in their holograph and precognition.

"Oh, God, Bill, I knew you'd get here, I KNEW it, that's all that kept me going all this time, I KNEW it," she was babbling, gasping and sobbing all at the same time. "He... he was about to..."

"Shhhhh, hon, don't you worry yourself about it, it's all over now, they can't get to you any more," Bill said, leading her away from Ralph and David. Kim was all he could see, all he could feel. He'd forgotten his best friend was there with the main bad guy.

Ralph watched Bill settle Kim on a chair in a corner, fussing over her, kneeling down alongside her and stroking her cut and bruised face sweetly, as if washing away all the pain she'd endured these past hours. The smile he gave her surprised Ralph. Bill's always-expressive face couldn't hide the love and devotion he had for the woman, and Ralph smiled in response.

He looked to the smaller room, wondering why the bad guys inside weren't yelling for release or making any noise.

He pulled David up, lifting the man off his feet for a moment, then walked him ahead of him, still maintaining the firm grip on the wrists. The two stood in the doorway and gasped, shocked, at what they saw.


	6. What Bill Did

What Bill Did.

Once he was assured Ralph had David secured, quiet and immobile, Bill shot for the door of the room he knew O'Neil was in.

It took him only an instant to take in the scene: It was what he'd seen in the precognition. The man was poised over Kim, hand dragging down her panties...

Bill was lost somewhere in the berserk rage that overwhelmed him. Adrenalin pumped into his blood and he moved faster than he'd moved in many many years as a professional law enforcement agent. His martial arts training in kenpo did not fail him; he'd been rated "Expert" by the FBI, and that was apparent now as his body called on that training to defend and protect his love.

The first man was dead before anyone even knew someone had come into the room. His neck gave a satisfying CRACK! as it was twisted unnaturally at its base, severing the brain's connection to the spinal cord.

The second man, the blond one who'd beat up Bill weeks before on the beach, turned in time to let out a squeak of surprise, his blue eyes wide as he looked up and into the dark pine green eyes of his executioner. SNAP! was all it took, before he could even move back, and he crashed to the ground, dead.

O'Neil didn't even have time to exclaim, not knowing Bill was there, when the man moving over her, about to move INTO her, was powerfully yanked away. Her brown eyes were wide as she saw Bill's arm and hand come around over the bigger man's shoulder and throat.

The agent wasn't going to destroy this one so quickly and painlessly. He pressed his fist into the man's throat... just SO... crushing the larynx, giving the man a slow death by suffocation. Shouldn't take long, a part of him thought smugly. More than the bastard deserves.

Bill stopped, panting, and looked at the carnage he'd laid down. He was shaking with fury, a wicked grin crossing his face as he looked at the two dead men, and the man who was about to be dead.

The big man looked up at him, his hazel eyes wide, panicked. Bill simply stared at him, unmoving, unfeeling.

Bill leaned over him and whispered roughly, "You can tell 'em in Hell, where you're going to be in a second, that NOBODY fucks with Bill Maxwell's woman and lives, m'kay?"

He ended his declaration with a light tone in his voice, just before he finished the man off with a quick cut to the throat, and the would-be rapist of Kim O'Neil was dead.

He straightened up, his eyes closed for a moment. He shook himself all over, as if consciously bringing himself back to the here-and-now. He took a deep calming breath, as he'd been trained to do all those years ago at the dojo, and opened his eyes.

O'Neil was leaning against the pillows she'd been thrown against, still staring up at Bill. She couldn't believe what she'd just witnessed. She'd known in her heart that her man would save her, but had begun to despair when the three men had untied her and torn her outer clothes off, and to see him now, standing over her, panting... she took a deep breath herself, just before flinging herself off the bed and into her hero's arms.

"Shhhhh," he crooned to her quietly, holding her to him. She was clinging to him, unwilling to release him even for a second so she could be covered decently. He held her and leaned over, yanking a sheet off the cruddy bed, wrapping her in it.

He led her out of that terrible room, away from Ralph, away from David. Bill was partly aware of his friend's presence, but all he could do was focus on his love now as he settled her into a chair so they could both take the opportunity to calm down.

A few moments later, Ralph's gasp of shock brought Bill's attention away from O'Neil, and he looked up.

"What, Ralph?" he asked calmly from the corner.

Ralph turned, bringing David along with him, and stared at Bill. "Bill, you KILLED THEM?"

Bill didn't answer for a moment. He rarely went into such a berserk rage, but it had happened before. And when it did, someone was usually dead afterwards.

"If I did, it's only 'cause that's what they deserved."

"Bill, you... I've NEVER seen you kill someone!"

David was too shocked to comment. One minute they were all relaxing, the young men about to go enjoy themselves with the traitor, the next minute it had all come crashing down. Again. His ego had received the final blow: It was apparent that Bill Maxwell was the better man. To go in and execute three healthy young men so handily, in less than a minute... not even HE could do that!

He was caught and he knew it. But that certainly wasn't going to deter him from trying to save what he could of his severely bruised ego.

David wriggled himself to try to loosen Ralph's iron grip on his aching wrists, and Ralph allowed it. David turned to look up and down the length of the lean blond man in the brilliantly red suit.

"So this is the secret to the 98 per cent 'kill rate.' Amazing." He turned to face Bill and Kim. "O'Neil, how on earth--"

In a flash, Bill's gun was in his hand, aimed at his Soviet counterpart. Kim had said all those weeks ago, "He's you. Only on the other side."

The man was fast, very fast, as he ducked behind Ralph to use him as a shield, little realizing the rounds from Bill's gun would not harm the younger man. But it was the right tactic to save his life.

Ralph spread his arms wide, covering David. "Bill, STOP!"

"Outta the way, Ralph," Bill said quietly, his gun never wavering a millimeter, his arm steady as a rock.

"NO, Bill, there's been enough death here today! I can't believe what I'm seeing!"

Bill stood frozen in place, but Ralph knew him enough to know he was considering what he said.

Bill was out of his rage now; to kill David at this point would be considered pre-meditated. He lowered his arm.

Knowing how similar David was to himself in many ways, Bill couldn't help delivering one more jab.

He looked David square in the eye and said with a small smile, "I win. You lose."

The Soviet agent was overwhelmed with anger and hatred, and moved to take a dive at Maxwell, whose gun was instantly aimed at him, ready to kill him with the excuse of self-defense. Ralph was faster than both and grabbed David, flinging him up and behind him, making the older man crash into the wall. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"BILL! Gimme the gun!" Ralph held his hand out.

"WHAT? Hell no I ain't givin' you my gun!" he said, lowering the muzzle toward the floor.

Ralph advanced on Bill, almost threatingly, his hand out. "Bill Maxwell, either you give me that gun or I'll take it from you, which will it be? Give me the gun, and I'm calling the local cops."

"WHAT?" Bill screamed, backing away. He's SERIOUS! he thought.

Ralph stopped.

"Bill, you just EXECUTED three men, and threatened another not once but TWICE! You need to give me that till you calm down and you're in your right mind. THINK, Maxwell! You know procedure. Hell, even I know procedure, and I'm not a Fed. You're a by-the-book kind of guy, you know it's what you have to do till all this is cleared up."

Bill remained motionless, O'Neil still tucked under his protective arm. She remained silent as this tableau played out between the two best friends and partners.

"Bill. Come on. You don't want to lose your badge over this."

Bill hated to admit it to himself, but the kid was right. He didn't want to lose his badge over slaughtering these bastards. He handed his gun over to Ralph.

"Other one too, c'mon," Ralph said, snapping his fingers.

Bill reached behind him for the extra gun he'd packed along and handed it to Ralph. He also surrendered the extra magazines in his gun holster.

"Is that it? No little derringers in your sock or something?" Ralph said, trying to lighten the mood and bring Bill back around to his normal self. If that was possible, after the silent massacre that had just occurred in the other room.

Ralph secured the firearms and magazines and turned back to Bill and Kim. His partner had settled Kim back in the chair, and took one next to her, holding her hand as if reluctant to sever any contact.

He was pale and shaking, taking deep breaths.

"Bill? You okay?" Kim asked.

Bill smiled weakly at her, nodding his head, not speaking for a moment. When he caught his breath, he said, "Comin' off the adrenalin, now I'm going to have the shakes for a coupla hours, that's all."

He looked up at Ralph, relieved now that his younger partner had remained calm and level-headed enough to do what had to be done in the aftermath.

"Ralph, call the cops. And I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but... shit, I hate this, but it's by the book. Call Carlisle too. He needs to know."

(A/N: Concludes in the next chapter. If you remember all the way back to the beginning of "Lilacs II," you'll remember what the ultimate fate of Bill and Kim will be. It's time for that final farewell.)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Okay, I lied. It won't conclude in one chapter. But it will conclude today (June 4th). I promise. I'm on a roll now. Check often, or else mark me for Story Alerts. This site sometimes doesn't show the most recent chapter, especially when I'm cranking them out pretty fast. Thanks, as always, for reading and reviewing!

Chapter Seven

Mr. Williams of the FBI Headquarters in D.C. didn't often go into a rage, but he was close to it now. William Maxwell had done it again. The son-of-a-bitch had done it again. It irked Williams that he couldn't figure out how the special agent did it, but he did it. There wasn't much more irritating than the man capturing the two most wanted covert operatives on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list; now he had saved not only the President of the United States, but the delegations and leaders of Japan and Canada as well.

"HOW, Carlisle?" he screamed over the phone. "How did he DO this?"

Norm Carlisle held the phone away, his mind racing to form a believeable response. "Well, sir, it's that woman he's been with for a while now, Kimberly O'Neil. After the affair with capturing those two operatives and the gun smuggling, they've been inseparable. Since she came back over to our side, she's been a great source of intel. She gave him the final piece in a case he and I had been working on up in Seattle a few years before. I told them to get up there, and it all came together."

Carlisle couldn't help but smile, because he, along with Maxwell, had received a special commendation in his personnel file. Since both men were the investigating agents initially, both men were considered to have closed the case. He straightened up his expression, convinced the formidable Mr. Williams would be able to detect his smile all the way to Washington, D.C.

"Sir."

"Do you have anything on him, Carlisle? Anything at ALL? I mean, not something that you've noted in his personnel file, I'm looking at that right now. Like this piece, right here..." He paused a moment, and Carlisle heard pages being turned. "Right here, PER THE DEPUTY BUREAU CHIEF HIMSELF, Maxwell no longer has to take the required twice-yearly polygraph test! I mean, HOW? How did he do this? How does he do anything? Is he involved in something even you and I can't know about?"

"I don't know, sir, but the missive came down from Mr. King himself: no more polygraphs. No questions asked. I couldn't inquire further, it's a sealed issue per the Deputy Chief."

A sound of irritation was the only reply from D.C.

Carlisle continued, feeling as if he was treading on eggshells, but he had to know. "Mr. Williams, why does this annoy you so? Maxwell can be a pest, yes, I'm the first to admit that, but he gets the cases closed. He's trumped the former 'best agent in the field' and that guy doesn't mind at all. Maxwell's a good guy. I hate to admit it, but I'm glad he's on my team."

"You're just glad he doesn't want your job, sitting at a desk and pushing paper," Williams growled.

Norm Carlisle paused, considering what Williams said. He was right, Norm knew. Bill liked being out in the trenches, fighting bad guys as he'd put it; it was fortunate for Carlisle that Maxwell had no interest in being a supervisor.

"Hmmm, well, that's neither here nor there, sir. I'm just glad that..."

He was interrupted by his other phone line ringing. "Sir, my other line's ringing, could you...?"

"Yeah, yeah, get it, I'm looking through this file."

Carlisle switched to the other line and listened for a moment. "WHAT? He did WHAT? Oh my God. Everyone stay there, don't let ANYONE LEAVE, I'll be there shortly. Gimme the address of the warehouse."

He scribbled the information down quickly and disconnected the call, switching back to Mr. Williams.

"Sir, there's been a development, involving Maxwell and O'Neil."

"What?"

"Um, well, sir. Maxwell had to, um, he uh..."

"Come on, Carlisle, what's he done now?"

"He killed three Soviet associates, the goons this Mr. David hired when they were working their gun smuggling operation."

Carlisle was shaken to the core after he heard the brief summary of what happened from the local L.A. police officer who was calling him to the scene. MAXWELL killed three young men, barehanded? He hadn't learned much more than that; he couldn't wait to get Williams off the phone to find out what transpired.

"Holy shit," was all Mr. Williams could reply, his voice soft and dangerous. "What happened?"

"Well, sir, the local who just called didn't say much. He said Maxwell got to the warehouse, and these guys had kidnapped O'Neil and were about to rape her. Maxwell went into a rage and uh, well, pretty much executed them. This David guy was already immobilized somehow, so he's still walking and breathing."

"They still got him at the scene?"

"Yes, I told the local to keep everyone there, that I'd be there shortly." Carlisle hoped Williams would get the clue.

"He's the main honcho in all this, isn't he? He got out scot-free on an obscure technicality?"

"Yes."

"Good, we can nail this bastard at least. I'm coming out there. I'll be on the next flight out of Dulles."

Carlisle gulped. It was never good when Mr. Williams came out personally, but the L.A. supervisor didn't have any time to dwell on what was coming from D.C.

"Yes, sir. I hate to cut you off, but I..."

"Yes, yes, go. I want a full report ASAP, Carlisle. I want to know the slightest detail of all Maxwell did."

"Yes, Mr. Williams, you'll have it. I'll see you when you get here."

"That you will, trust me. And I want Maxwell there too."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Carlisle flashed his badge at the local L.A. police detective who'd been called to the scene along with a couple of squad cars.

"Okay, Detective, I'll take it from here," he said with authority.

The detective frowned at Carlisle. "I understand you need to check on your guy, Mr. Carlisle, but we need to clear this up. The guy just killed three men!"

"Yes, three men who were in the process of raping his girlfriend. Trust me, higher ups at the Bureau HQ in D.C. are already aware of the situation."

"They are? That fast?"

"We're the FBI, we know things," Carlisle said cryptically. Best to keep them guessing, thinking the FBI knew things as soon as they happened.

"Look, Detective, I can't give you too many details about Special Agent Maxwell, security and all, but I can tell you this: he's rated Expert in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. Considering what he walked in on, it's easy to understand him doing what he did." Carlisle looked at the man's left hand. "How would YOU react to seeing your wife being raped, after all? Would you stop and consider the ramifications of acting on it, or simply go into a rage and do something?"

"Hmmm, yeah, good point," the man said, blanching at such a possibility. "It's obviously not pre-meditated. That's the main thing we were concerned about."

He looked over at Maxwell and O'Neil, who'd been talking quietly together while the boss handled the local cops.

"Okay, Mr. Carlisle, we'll let you and your men clear this up. It's your jurisdiction, after all. The commie over there's been quiet as a church the whole time, not a peep from him. I think he's just happy to be alive, considering what Maxwell did to his cohorts." He motioned to the uniformed officers and they left the FBI team with O'Neil and Maxwell.

After the locals left, Carlisle went to the couple. Bill looked up at him, waiting for his supervisor to tear into him, but Carlisle surprised him by the soft expression on his face.

"Are you two all right? Ms. O'Neil? Were you hurt?"

Kim looked at Bill for a moment, also surprised that Carlisle was being considerate of her feelings. He was a married man himself, so he could probably sympathize as well with what her love had done.

"No, Mr. Carlisle, Bill got here in time."

The bruises and cuts on her face and exposed parts of her belied what she was telling him. Carlisle reached out a hand to touch her bruised and bleeding arm, and O'Neil recoiled in fright.

Knowing how rape victims often felt in the company of men, any man, Norm pulled his hand back and smiled softly at her once more.

"I understand, Ms. O'Neil. You're fortunate to have Maxwell at your side."

Bill and Kim thought they'd faint with how kind Carlisle was being. They were seeing a side of him they'd never seen before, especially Bill. Considering how serious the situation was, Bill appreciated his boss for one of the few times in his professional career. He actually understands! he thought.

Bill tightened his grip over Kim's shoulders, reinforcing what Carlisle said.

"Bill, why don't you take Ms. O'Neil to the hospital to have her cleaned up and checked out, just in case. Then you two go back to her place. Mr. Williams is coming in as soon as he can get a plane out, so don't go anywhere. Consider yourself on paid administrative leave till then, and we can have our official review with him present. Then when it's all cleared up, you can have your badge and guns back."

Bill stood, pulling Kim up with him. He secured the blanket the medics had given them around her, hugging her to him. He knew Ralph was there, but his younger partner was remaining invisible.

Ralph had already whispered to Mr. David, before the cops and FBI arrived, that the man would be wise to not mention seeing a guy in a red suit busting in. Some who'd encountered Ralph before had ended up in the rubber room, and he assured the Soviet agent that he'd have the same plight if he said anything. Mr. David simply nodded his head in silent agreement that there'd be no mention of a red-clad avenging angel involved.

Ralph carefully and quietly followed Bill and Kim out to the agent's car and surreptiously climbed into the back seat. Once they were far enough away, he popped back in, making Kim jump in fright.

"Sorry, Kim, I thought you'd realize I was trailing the two of you. Bill knew I was there."

"I'm used to it, Ralph, she's not. Her nerves are kinda jangled right now any way."

He took her hand and kissed it. The tender look in his dark green eyes surprised Ralph. Wow, he really does love this girl! he thought. He was glad; she was good for his best friend, especially since she shared in the secret of the red suit.

Ralph very slowly put his hand over the couple's clasped hands and said, "Carlisle's right, Kim. You're lucky to have Bill. He's quite a guy."

She smiled at her man first, then turned to look at Ralph, a gentle, tentative smile on her face. "You're right, I am. I knew he'd be there, I just knew it. And you too, Ralph."

When they arrived at the hospital, Bill took Kim to the emergency room and Ralph returned to the Davidsons, anxious to be with Pam once more now that they'd successfully retrieved Kim. Soon all four of them would be together again and this whole affair with the Soviets would have blown over. Ralph couldn't wait to get things back to normal.

(A/N: Ooh hoo, that's not the end... if you don't remember how this saga ends, go re-read the first chapter of Lilacs II. More coming soon, I'm on a roll; my Muse is here to play for a bit.)


	9. Lilacs Series Conclusion

The hooded scowl from Mr. Williams of the D.C. office didn't phase Bill in the slightest when he went in for his administrative review. The special agent simply nodded, smiled, answered questions as succinctly as possible, and bided his time. He knew he'd done nothing wrong when he'd saved Kim O'Neil from being gang-raped and his boss Norm Carlisle was actually SUPPORTING him in this, so Bill knew it was simply a matter of time before it'd all blow over.

Mr. Williams slammed Maxwell's personnel file closed and leaned back in his chair. Nobody spoke; all eyes were watching him as he mindlessly tap-tap-tapped his pencil against the manila folder.

"Well, Maxwell, I don't know how you did it, but you really pulled your chestnuts out of THIS fire. Reading the reports from both you and Carlisle, there's no question that you did what had to be done."

Bill could tell it pained the man to accede that what transpired was unavoidable and necessary. He knew he wouldn't receive any roses thrown at his feet, however; the special commendation he and his boss shared would suffice.

The shorter man looked up at Bill after they all stood to exit the interview room. He moved up against Maxwell, almost touching his chest. "But know this, mister. I know you're a hot dog, you bend the rules, you do what you want, you've refused a partner over and over... and I'm watching you. Still. Deputy Chief or no, I'm going to nail your ass to the wall if you slip up one iota, do you understand me?"

Glancing at Carlisle, Bill shrugged his shoulders and flexed his neck to relieve tension, and relieve the urge to laugh in this man's face. The poor guy was trying his hardest to intimidate Bill, but mentioning Deputy Chief King had the opposite effect: he KNOWS I don't have to do the polygraphs any more, Bill thought, and it's driving him NUTS. Knowing he had something that could vex the Man From D.C., as Bill was beginning to think of him in his own mind, lightened his mood even more.

"Oh, I understand you, Mr. Williams, sir, loud and clear, sir," Bill said, to all appearances the epitome of respect. Williams turned a glare on Carlisle when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a chuckle from the L.A. office supervisor that quickly turned to a cough.

"Carlisle?" he asked in a low, dangerous voice.

"Hmmm, yes, Mr. Williams, this way, if you please, sir," Norm Carlisle said, the perfect host to the visiting Bureau official.

Bill stood motionless as he watched the men approach the exit of the big room. "Um, Mr. Carlisle?"

The two men turned to Bill, and he raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Oh, yes, Maxwell. Sorry." Carlisle reached into his vest pocket and removed Bill's badge and ID. He handed the leather holder to Bill. "Your firearm isn't issue, right?"

"Right, sir, neither of them. They're secured here at the office though, pending this review."

"I'll call down there and let them know to release them to you as soon as possible."

Bill held Carlisle's gaze for a quick moment. Before his boss turned away, he said, "Thanks, Norm. From both of us."

Carlisle had a genuine smile on his face, one of the few Bill ever recalled seeing. "You're welcomed, Bill."

Bill heard Williams say as they left, "I want to talk to O'Neil. Tomorrow. Arrange it, Carlisle."

God, now what? Bill wondered. He wasn't too worried. He knew she would remain in Los Angeles; she was too valuable for Carlisle to let her be whisked away to D.C. If she could provide intel as she had to close the case they'd worked out of the Seattle office, he and Carlisle were sure she could help with other cases. And they wanted those gold stars to be for THEIR office!

Later that evening, the couple snuggled together under the light blanket.

"So the big boss wants to talk to me. I wonder what about," Kim said.

"Oh, it's nothin', I'm sure." He pulled her closer, laying his long leg over her. "I don't wanna talk about that guy, let's think of something else to do."

"Hmmm, okay," she murmured against him.

Maxwell and O'Neil went to the Federal Building, right on time, the following morning; they figured it wouldn't look good to show up late for the early interview Carlisle had arranged.

"Bill, you can't go in there with her," Carlisle said when he saw the couple show up together.

"I can't? C'mon, that guy doesn't scare me," Bill said, laughing as he led O'Neil to the interview room he'd occupied the day before.

Carlisle blocked his way; O'Neil stopped with him, putting her arm around his back.

"It's okay, Bill, really. I'm sure I won't have to put up with torture and God knows what else, like I would've if they'd managed to bring me 'home' as David wanted to do. This'll be a piece'a cake, as you'd say."

"Well... okay, if you're sure. I'll be at my desk, reviewing my latest files. Having a day or two off, they're prob'ly stacked sky high!"

"Right, I'm sure it won't be more than a couple of hours. Then we can go get coffee or something for your morning break."

Bill boldly gave her a kiss in front of Carlisle. "Okay, toots, see ya in a bit."

Two hours later, Bill glanced at the wall clock. Should be any time, he thought. His stomach grumbled for a treat and some coffee. He turned back to an interesting case he wanted to bring to Ralph's attention, about some escaped bank robbers that were rumored to be heading to the L.A. area.

Yeah, a stakeout, that's what the kid needs. Gimme a chance to show him some more of the ropes about what it means to be a Fed, even if he AIN'T a Fed.

Bill was so engrossed in the file that he didn't notice a half hour had passed, and he stretched back. Ten thirty? Where WAS she?

He looked at Carlisle's office; his boss was inside, working on his computer terminal.

Another half-hour passed, and no O'Neil, no Williams.

Bill stood and stretched, then casually walked to Carlisle's door.

"Hey, boss? They still in there?"

Norm Carlisle quickly cleared his screen and turned to face Bill.

"Bill, um... I don't know how to say this, but..."

"What, boss? What's going on?"

"Well, about an hour ago, she and Williams left. I didn't even know about it, till one of the guys downstairs told me he saw them go out the back."

"WHAT? Where's he taking her?"

"Parker didn't know, all he told me was what he saw. Williams, Ms. O'Neil and two guys he didn't recognize. Probably other agents who came in from D.C. with him. I didn't want to tell you since it's apparent Williams didn't want either of us to know."

A small knot of worry niggled Bill's brain as he stood before his boss's desk, thinking.

After a few moments, Carlisle said, "What, Bill?"

"This Williams guy, is he... uh..." How should he ask this? "Is he legit? On the up-and-up?"

"What? Of course he is, Maxwell! Are you implying he..."

"No, no! I just don't know the guy, that's all. Remember when he asked me, 'Do you know who I am, mister?' I'm not entirely sure what his role at the Bureau is, to tell you the truth."

"I don't either, now that you mention it. All I know is when he and his two subordinates came that day, he had the necessary credentials to go ANYwhere in the Federal Building. I didn't want to poke my nose in too far about his position in D.C. 'Long as he had the clearance, and he did, it wasn't my place to snoop. Nor yours, Maxwell. Let's just relax and wait to see."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Just gives me a creepy feeling, is all, with me not with her."

"Why don't you finish up what you were reviewing and take an earlier lunch. I'm sure by the time you return, she and Williams will have as well."

"Sure, I'll do that," Bill said, turning to leave. This'll gimme a chance to go to Ralph, see if we can holograph in on her whereabouts.

Fortunately Whitney High wasn't too far from the Federal Building. Bill stood patiently outside of Ralph's class, waiting for his younger friend's lunch hour to start. When the bell rang, the kids came pouring out of the classroom, laughing and cutting up.

"Oh, it's Mad Man Maxwell," Tony quipped when he saw his favorite Fed lying in wait for Mr. H.

"Hey, Villicana, try not to set the world record for kyping hubcaps in a single half-hour, okay?" Maxwell shot back at him, grinning.

The other kids in Tony's group laughed, pulling him away before the two could get started.

"C'mon, Tone, I'm starved, all I had for breakfast was yoghurt!" Rhonda whined.

"Yeah, man, we ain't got time for this," Paco said, pulling Tony's other arm. "They're having PIZZA today!"

Tony yelled over his shoulder as his friends dragged him away, "You and hubcaps, Maxwell, it's like an obsession!"

Bill's grin widened and he shook his head, turning toward the door. He slammed into Ralph.

"OOF!" he exclaimed, bouncing back. He rubbed his chest. "I take it you're wearing the suit, since it feels like I just walked into a brick wall."

"Hey, Bill," his friend said, looking Maxwell over. "Did I hurt you?"

"Naw, just knocked the wind outta me a little."

"I put the suit on when you called earlier, when you said something about bank robbers coming to L.A. Thought we were going to nail them this afternoon after work."

"That's coming down the pike. They're not here YET, it's just rumor. But any way, I'm here for something else."

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a scarf that O'Neil had worn the night before, when the couple went walking on the beach at sunset.

"That Williams bozo, from D.C., snuck Kim out this morning with a coupla goons, and Carlisle has no idea where they went. He didn't even know till someone told him that they'd left. Here, let's see if we can holograph in on them. I'm sure she's fine, I just want to reassure myself."

"Sure, Bill," Ralph said, taking the scarf. They went into the classroom and Ralph shut the door behind him so they'd have privacy. Little chance a kid would come by during lunch hour, but he wanted to be sure they wouldn't be discovered or interrupted.

He loosened his tie and undid the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing a portion of his red suit. Holding the scarf in one hand, he put his hand on his partner's shoulder, and the two men stared at the blank chalkboard.

As the feeling of an impending holograph hit them, a loud voice over the intercom broke their concentration.

"Damn!" Bill exclaimed, moving away.

"Mr. Hinkley? You there?" came the vice principal's voice.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Is there a Mr. Maxwell with you?"

Bill and Ralph exchanged startled glances.

"Yes, right here. Is something wrong?"

"Could you two come to the office? Mr. Maxwell has a phone call."

The knot of worry grew into full-fledged panic, and Bill ran for the door with Ralph on his heels.

It took less than a minute to run down the hall to the office, and the man holding the phone silently handed it to Bill.

Ralph sat down, watching his partner. He was shocked to see the color literally drain from Bill's face, and stood to go to him, leading him to the chair.

Bill's voice was rough, "Uh huh... uh huh... I understand... I don't know... I'll be there shortly."

Ralph heard the line "click" when the other party hung up, and Bill simply sat there, not moving, his eyes staring forward blankly.

Ralph took the handset and set it down, moving a chair close to Bill.

"Bill? What's wrong? You're white as a ghost, and look like you're about to faint."

No reply.

Ralph put his hand on his best friend's shoulder, giving a gentle shake. "Bill? Bill, what's WRONG? Is it Kim?"

The older man finally moved, shaking himself all over, and faced Ralph. "She... she's dead, Ralph."

"WHAT?" Ralph cried, quickly standing and pacing back and forth.

The vice principal, who'd been standing unobtrusively nearby, more out of curiosity than anything else, shook his head and left his office to the two men, pulling the door behind him.

"That... that was Carlisle on the phone. He told me what little he understood about the scene. Turns out one of the agents that went with Williams and O'Neil was a Soviet plant, and us none the wiser."

"Oh my God," Ralph said, sitting down with a plunk.

"Yeah, they were leaving, and he pulled a fast one, once they got to where they were going. Williams and the other guy were fast, witnesses said, but not fast enough. She... are you ready for this? SHE saved Williams! The commie agent wanted to neutralize Williams first, and all hell broke loose. In the middle of the fight, apparently she took a bullet meant for him."

He paused, considering Carlisle's brief explanation of what transpired.

"Right in the heart."

"Oh my God," Ralph repeated.

"While all this was happening, the OTHER agent, the good one, managed to drag Kim away while Williams kept the guy behind cover. He got a good shot off, finally, and nailed him. So we'll never know who he was, who sent him."

Neither man spoke for a few minutes. Ralph left his hand on his friend's shoulder, offering him all the support he could. He gave a gentle squeeze.

"You've got to go, Bill. You told Carlisle you'd be there shortly. C'mon, I'll drive you."

"Your class, though..." Bill started.

"Never mind my class. I'll give them something to do for the afternoon, ask Ray to check in on them every so often, or chase them outside to play touch football or something. Ray'll back me up on this."

Ralph stood and saw the vice principal through the door's window. He motioned to the man to come back in.

"Everything all right, Mr. Hinkley?"

"Hmmm, not really. My friend here, Agent Maxwell of the FBI, just received some terrible news. He's in no state to drive. I was wondering if I could get Ray to fill in for me for the afternoon, if that's okay. I need to drive him to the Federal Building."

"Yes, I'm certain that could be arranged. We'll consider it a family emergency; we've got contingencies to cover such events. I'm sure between the two of us we can keep your class entertained for a couple of hours. You go on ahead."

He stood silently by the door as Ralph led Bill away. "I'm not sure what it is, Mr. Maxwell, but I hope it works out all right for you."

Ralph looked at Bill, silently asking permission to tell the man a bit more. Bill nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"It's Bill's girlfriend, she... she was just killed in a gun battle." He didn't choose to elaborate.

"Oh my goodness!"

"So you can tell my class, they know Ms. O'Neil, we all went fishing with her some time back. I'm sure they'll behave themselves if they know how serious this is to me, and to Mr. Maxwell."

"Yes, yes, we'll take care of it. You'd better go."

The trip to the Federal Building was silent and somber. Bill sighed every so often, staring out the passenger side window.

"Bill?" Ralph finally inquired softly. "You okay?"

"She... she saved Williams. Prob'ly the other guy too. I wanna talk to him, I want to know everything that happened, how it went so wrong, where they were heading when it all started."

"I know, we'll find out, I'm sure."

"Ralph, if only I had gotten to you a few minutes sooner, we might've been able to prevent this! We would've got a precognition, I just know it! I could have..."

"BILL! We can't always know things that are going to happen! I don't think we got the suit so we could use it to change history, change the natural course of things. What happened, happened. We're lucky that we've been able to pick up stuff twice as it is, with Pam and Kim, but the suit's not all-knowing and all-powerful."

"I know, but still if only I..."

"We can't get all tangled up in 'if onlies,' Bill. It won't bring her back, or the clown that started all this."

"HIM! I thought we were done with this once those bastards who were about to rape her were taken care of, and that turd David was hauled off for good. No damned technicality is going to free him THIS time!" Bill growled, growing angrier by the second.

Carlisle was there to meet Bill at the elevator, and silently motioned for him and Ralph to follow him. They went to the interview room, where Mr. Williams and the other agent were, waiting for Bill.

"Uh, Ralph, I think you might need to sit this one out," Bill told his best friend. "Might have some sensitive stuff to go over."

Ralph patted Bill's shoulder. "Sure, pard, I'll be right out here if you need me."

Bill sat down after Ralph left, next to Carlisle. Williams looked the special agent over and cleared his throat.

"Maxwell, I know the two times we've met, we've kind of rubbed horns. But I wanted to tell you this, so you know what happened."

He told Bill precisely how everything went down, from leaving the Federal Building to when he shot the Soviet agent.

"Agent Black here dragged Ms. O'Neil away, but the medics said she was already dead by then." The man paused, clearing his throat again, trying to hide the emotion he was experiencing. He looked up at Bill once more, his dark brown eyes shining.

"She saved me, saved Agent Black. I can't even begin to express my gratitude for her sacrifice, to us or to our country for her help in saving the President and Camp David. She died a hero."

Fin. (Finally.) 


End file.
